| Philatelic Term | Definition / Description | |
|---|---|---|
| A - B |  | |
| Block | A group of stamps that are still attached to one another. A minimum of four stamps, two wide and two tall, makes a block. |
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| Booklet | A small book containing stamps in panes. |  |
| C - D | | |
| Cachet | A design or artwork on the left side of an envelope. Usually found on First Day Covers. |
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| Cancellation | A mark applied to a stamp to prevent it from being re-used. Usually as a postmark, but can include a pen mark, punched hole/s or words over the stamp. The cancellation words - such as 'cancelled', 'sample' or 'specimen' - can be printed, written or perforated on to the stamp. |
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| Cinderella | An item resembling a stamp, but not issued for postal use by a government postal administration. |  |
| Coil | A strip of stamps, one stamp wide. Usually sold as a roll. | |
| Commemorative Stamp | A stamp that celebrates a special event. | |
| Cover | Another word for an envelope or postal wrapper that has a stamp or some other form of payment on it. | |
| Definitive Stamp | A stamp with a standard value for everyday postal use. | |
| Denomination | The monetary value printed on a stamp. | |
| Die | A flat piece of steel used with an engraving plate to impress a design on to the stamp paper. |
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| E - F | | |
| Embossing | A form of printing where the design is raised above the surface of the paper. Embossed Printing is sometimes also referred to as Relief Printing. |
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| Error | A stamp printed with a mistake on it. Examples include:- printed on the wrong type of paper; incorrect design applied; colours or design elements missing. |
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| Essay | A trial design of a stamp or other philatelic item. An essay sometimes differs from the final item released for sale or use by the public. |
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| Fiscal Stamp or Revenue Stamp | Also known as a Revenue stamp. A stamp used to pay a tax or other government cost. |  |
| Foxing | Spots and age marks, usually yellow or yellow-brown. | |
| Frama Stamp | A stamp produced by a machine after someone inserts coins of the correct value into the machine. Also known as a Machine Label. |
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| G - H | | |
| Gutter | A blank narrow margin of space dividing a sheet of stamps into panes. | |
| Gutter Pair | Two or more stamps, on either side of the selvedge between two panes of stamps. | |
| Handstamp | A postmark or overprint that has been applied by hand. | |
| Hinges | Small pieces of gummed paper used to attach stamps to an album page. | |
| I - J | | |
| Imperforate | A stamp that does not have little separating holes along its edges. | |
| Imprint | An inscription on the margin of a sheet of stamps. Inscription can include the name, initials or other details of the printer or publisher of the stamps. |
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| Inscription | A description, value, country name or other detail inscribed on a stamp. | |
| Inverted | Refers to a stamp that has one part of its design printed upside down in relation to the rest of the stamp. | |
| Issue | The stamps of a particular design or date. Sometimes used to describe a particular group or series of stamps. |
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| K - L | | |
| Legend Stamp | A stamp about a famous person, such as Don Bradman. | |
| M - N | | |
| Machine Label | A stamp produced by a machine after someone inserts coins of the correct value into the machine. Also known as a Frama Stamp. |
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| Miniature Sheet or Mini Sheet | A small sheet of stamps, sometimes designed to be part of a larger picture on the sheet. | |
| Mint | Refers to a stamp in original condition, exactly as issued. | |
| O - P | | |
| Overprint | Words or symbols that are printed over the original design. Sometimes used to change the original value. |
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| O.S. | Official Service Refers to stamps issued solely for official government use. O.S. can be overprinted or perforated into the stamps. |
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| Pane | The proper name for a sheet of stamps. Sometimes used to refer to a group of stamps within a sheet. |
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| Perforate | A stamp that has little holes along its edges to make it easier to separate it from other stamps on the sheet. | |
| Personalised Stamp or P-Stamp | A stamp that you can make with one of your own photographs or other images printed on it. | |
| Philatelist | A person who collects stamps, covers or similar postal material. | |
| Plate Block | A block of four or more stamps that has a code (usually numbers) printed on the page margin. | |
| Postal Stationery | An envelope, card or aerogram with the postage amount pre-printed on it. Sold by the post office. |
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| Postmark | The official mark that the post office puts over a stamp to show from when and where the item was sent. | |
| Q - R | | |
| Revenue Stamp or Fiscal Stamp | Also known as a Fiscal stamp. A stamp used to pay a tax or other government cost. | |
| S - T | | |
| Selvedge | The edge or margin of a sheet of stamps (or banknotes). Often includes printing markings. |
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| Se-tenant | Two or more attached stamps with different designs. |  |
| Souvenir Sheet | A sheet of stamps, usually ten stamps, that celebrates a special theme or event. | |
| Surcharge | An overprint applied to a stamp to alter the original face value of that stamp. | |
| Tete-beche | Say 'tet-besh' or 'tate-baysh'. Stamps joined together in head to toe format. |  |
| Thematic Stamps or Topical Stamps | Stamps with a common theme, such as animals or space. | |
| U - Z | | |
| Variety | A stamp that is different from the normal issue. | |
| Watermark | A design within the actual paper (as distinct from the design later applied to the paper) . | |